Yemeni security officials and tribal chiefs said on Monday that a suspected US drone strike has killed several al-Qaida militants in the country's south, including a local militant commander.

The Monday morning attack was the third in three days. On Saturday, 10 suspected militants and three civilians died in the al-Bayda province; on Sunday around 30 were killed in the mountainous south of the country.

Monday's attack targeted the rugged mountainous area of Mahfad between the provinces of Abyan and Shabwa. Tribal leaders identified the killed commander as Munnaser al-Anbouri. It was unclear how many militants died.

Both the officials and the elders spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to talk to media.

The al-Qaida branch in Yemen isconsidered one of the terror network's most dangerous. There was no immediate US comment on the strike.

A Yemeni security official said 10 suspected al-Qaida militants were arrested in Shabwa province late on Sunday.